Always make sure to check the bird out BEFORE flying. Just because it says READY TO FLY on the box, it's NOT. And are you really willing to trust that it is?
Simple common sense really. You can check it out BEFORE flying or AFTER you crash and break it.
Here's a checklist for you.
1. Check all bolts and nuts for tightness. Use BLUE locktight on the screws for the motor, tail assembly (including boom), Flybar paddles and flybar to head assem. Do NOT locktight the main blades. The pitch axis (as Skyartec refers to it as) is the bar between the main blades that the blade grips bolt onto. Make sure this has locktight on it because if it comes lose the blades will fly off! It has happened on my Honey bee king.
2. Check all wires and plugs on the receiver. Make sure there is some slack in the wires so they are not too tight. Check to make sure wires can't interfere with rotating parts or servo function. Use zip ties for wires but make sure not to over tighten them.
3. Make sure the battery is secure. On the V3 throw away the black bands that come with it. Mine broke while flying! Lucky I had velcro'd the battery as well.
4. Disconnect the motor from the RX (receiver) This is so you can make adjustments to your servo's and swashplate and not have to worry about getting hit with the main blades.
5. Always turn on the transmitter BEFORE the heli and make sure the throttle is in the down position.
6. Once the radio is on, set all your trims to the middle position.
7. Check to see if the swashplate is level all the way around. If it isn't then unplug the battery and adjust the servo control arm linkage (longer or shorter) so the swashplate is perfectly even. This iscrucial !
8. Check the flybar to make sure that the paddles are evenly spaced to the head. They have to be the same exact length from the head or you will have vibrations and the heli will move around in a toilet bowl motion aka TBE (toilet bowl effect-the way water acts when you flush your toilet [could be different if you live south of the equator because people south of the equator are weird ])
9. If you don't own a jewelry scale now is the time to invest into one. They are $12 bucks on ebay (triton T2) and yes it's kind of anal but it does help to balance your heli out.
10. If you have a scale then weigh all the rotating parts and make sure all the parts on one side of the rotor weigh the same as the other side. If you don't it's cool but it does make a difference and you would not believe how much of a weight difference there is between the parts.
11. Once you've checked the flybar for distance from the head then check the position of the paddles to make sure BOTH are evenly pitched. They should be pitched even but a little positive pitch (2 degrees) is ok and may help forward flight. If you don't have a blade pitch tool just eyeball it. Once done check and make sure they are tightened to the flybar. Also check the flybar to make sure it does not bind when moving up or down. The flybar should be able to freely move up/down by simply blowing on a paddle. If not then it's too tight and should be fixed. Sometimes the linkages connected to it are just too tight because they are new and will break in with time. I use a Dry lube on linkages and it helped out. Don't use oil because it may weaken the plastic.
12. Check the Center of gravity by suspending the heli by the flybar when the flybar is exactly perpendicular to the heli's frame. Suspend the heli so the skids are about 5mm from the LEVEL surface you have your heli on. The idea is if the skids are right (some are not) then there should be equal distance front and back to the level surface. Because I don't trust skids especially after the heli has been wrecked I always check the levelness of the main shaft with a level you should too because it's the best way. A small carpenter's square works if you start with a level surface. If you do this and find out your heli's skids are uneven or bent then bend them so they are even to the level surface. This way the heli won't shoot off in weird directions when taking off. If you heli's main shaft is NOT level when suspended then add weight to the nose or tail end of the aircraft.
13. Check the blade tracking by applying some very thin stripping tape to your blades. You can get it at any hobby shop and make sure you get red and white. You will apply the tape on both blades so not to throw off the balance of the heli. Vibration is the enemy on these things and just the smallest amount of weight can do just that. Remember that these blades can sometimes spin upwards of 300mph + on some heli's at the tips. Apply white on the outer part of one blade about 20 mm from the tip and red to the other side. Also make sure the blades are not to tight in their grips. Blades should be tight but still be able to freely fold in. If they are too tight then the centrifugal force of them spinning will NOT straighten them and will cause vibration.
Once done secure the craft to something solid. Clamp the skids to a work bench and make sure it's clamped down so it will not fly off. Do not do blade tracking in your hand!!! Wear a face shield ! There is actually a member of this board that was tracking his blades without one and a piece from a blade flew off and punctured his eye draining all the fluid out of it. Also make sure there is nothing that can fly around in your area once the heli is on. These things put out allot of wind and can make a small wind storm around you.
Once done then plug the motor back in and turn on the TX (transmitter) (making sure the throttle is in the down position) and then connect the heli's battery. When the music is done playing from the esc slowly increase your throttle. If there is any vibration then the blades are not tracking right. This means one blade has more lift than the other. With your face shield on bend down and look at your blades horizontally while they are spinning. You should see if the blade with the red tape is higher or lower than the other. If it is shut down the heli and disconnect the battery. On the V3 there are two linkages that connect the main blades to the flybar. They either have to be lengthened or shortened to adjust the tracking of the blades. Once tracked, the blades should be perfectly even at all RPM's. If you still have vibrations it could be the blades are not evenly weighed, Main shaft is bent, Tail blades are not evenly adjusted or weighed.
Since you have the aircraft clamped down it is a good time to also check the swashplate for movement and slack. The swashplate should rotate around the main shaft and NOT move up or down on the main shaft. Check this under load (heli spun up). If there is slack in the swashplate then make sure the swashplate hasn't become separated from the ball or from itself. This happens sometimes in a wreck.
14. Once the blade tracking is done you can now place the training kit onto your bird making sure when you do that you don't upset the CG(center of gravity) of the aircraft. Before every flight make sure all bolts are tightened and the belt for the tail is working and not binding. It's a good idea to apply a very very small amount of high quality dry lube to all moving parts but not the bearings. Do not use oil for it can weaken plastic parts.
15. Before flying make sure to pull out your antenna.
Special thanks to Deserteagle from www.RCgroups.com for this set up guide.
